XN000022-1987-06-25 — Page 10

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THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1987

OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA INCLUDE REPORTS FROM DISTRICT BOARD COMMITTEES, AND A REPORT BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER ON THE WORK OF THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE WHICH IS CURRENTLY HANDLING SUCH ISSUES AS THE RELOCATION OF THE MORNING RURAL VEGETABLE WHOLESALE MARKET AT LUEN WO HUI, THE PROPOSAL FOR CONSTRUCTING A FOOTBRIDGE AT JOCKEY CLUB ROAD NEAR FUNG KAI MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THE TRANSPORT PROBLEM AT SHEUNG SHUI TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

YOU ARE INVITED TO COVER THE MEETING TOMORROW (FRIDAY) AT 9.30 AM IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE NORTH DISTRICT OFFICE, JOCKEY CLUB ROAD, FANLING. SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION SERVICE WILL BE

AVAILABLE.

MORE PORT FACILITIES NEEDED FOR TRADE GROWTH

HONG KONG WOULD NEED TO CREATE MORE SHELTERED HARBOUR, MORE WHARVES, MORE MOORING BUOYS AND MORE CONTAINER TERMINALS IF IT WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO CONTAIN THE GROWTH OF TRADE BY THE MID-NINETIES, THE SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING OF THE ASIAN SEA TRANSPORT CONFERENCE 1987, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS NOW CLEAR THAT THE PORT OF HONG KONG WAS OF EQUAL IF NOT GREATER IMPORTANCE THAN THE AIRPORT IF IT WAS TO HANDLE NOT ONLY THE INTERNAL CARGOES, BUT PART OF THE GROWING TRANSIT CARGOES OF MAINLAND CHINA.

HE SAID THAT IN TERMS OF TRADE, HONG KONG NOW RANKED 13TH AMONG THE TRADING NATIONS OF THE WORLD AND NINE-TENTHS OF THAT TRADE PASSED THROUGH THE PORT.

HE SAID IN ADDITION TO OVER 14,000 OCEAN-GOING SHIPS WHICH CALLED AT HONG KONG LAST YEAR, THE HARBOUR WAS ALSO VISITED BY 80,000 SHIPS OF ALL KINDS AND THE NUMBER WAS STEADILY GROWING.

"I

"THE PORT IS OUR LIFE LINE, HE STRESSED.

SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT WHILE THE PORT HAD BEEN ABLE ΤΟ COPE WITH AN UNPRECEDENTED RAPID GROWTH IN TRADE, THE MOUNTAINS WHICH SHELTERED THE HARBOUR HAD PLACED SEVERE CONSTRAINTS ON THE SUPPORTING FACILITIES WHICH WERE ESSENTIAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE PORT.

NOTING THAT

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